IN HER OWN SKIN

IN HER OWN SKIN
Freedom, Femininity & the Courage to be Fully Seen
Exclusive Interview with Stella Pecollo
Featured in 'Innerviews'
Hosted by Allié McGuire

​There’s something about Stella Pecollo that feels both grounded and untethered at the same time. Like she knows exactly where she comes from… but refuses to be defined by it. From a small town in Italy to stages and cities around the world, her journey isn’t just about becoming an actress. It’s about becoming herself, fully and unapologetically. In You, Me, & Tuscany, she steps into a story rooted in love, family, and discovery. Off screen, she’s living one of her own… one that challenges expectations, embraces expression, and invites others to do the same.

ALLIÉ: You have lived all over the world, Stella, stepping into different cultures, different versions of yourself, different languages. Where did you feel most at home? Of all the places you called home, what felt most like home?

STELLA: Good question. It changes, really. Right now, I would say that LA is probably the place where I feel most at home. But in second place, I would say Puglia, which is south of Italy. I don’t know if you’ve ever been. You should, because it’s beautiful. Even though I’m from the north of Italy, so there’s no reason why. Apart from just that I love being there whenever I can, and everything is beautiful there. It feels like home.

​​ALLIÉ: Nice. So next question to that then, Stella, is when did you realize that home might not be a place at all, but rather a decision about who you allow yourself to be?

STELLA: I love this question. And I actually know very well when. I have a journey where my body has always been a topic of discussion, good or bad. And I think our body is our home.

That time when I really felt like I was in the right place, meaning in my body, it was thanks to my second acting teacher, Gloria. It was back in 2006, I think. She said something that made me click and made me realize that actually my uniqueness is my strength. My body is part of it, and I just have to love and accept my body, because that’s my home. So that was the time.

ALLIÉ: I love that. I imagine then if you were to hug yourself, it would be sort of saying “home sweet home,” right? That you are home.

Let’s switch gears for a moment to speak about You, Me and Tuscany. You play Francesca, who is surrounded by love, family, tradition. When you stepped into her world, did it feel like returning to something familiar or stepping into something quite different?

STELLA: I think it was a little bit of both. Obviously, being Italian and the movie being filmed in Italy, that was a big part of who I am. Another thing that I kind of had to accept growing up is that the more I live abroad, the more I feel like I’m so Italian, so that’s another topic.

But the big family is something that I never really had, that I dream of. So that part was really something new to me, but really exciting and heartwarming. It was mentioned in an interview recently, that the feeling of family was so strong that we used to hang out even after filming, all together. The dynamics between us were very similar to a real family. And still now, we get in touch, we meet for lunch. That was definitely something new to me, but beautiful.

ALLIÉ: Yeah, that is beautiful. And that just speaks to what I think we all realize at some point, that we have the family we’re born into and then the family that we choose.

Let’s talk more about body positivity. It’s often talked about, but I think very much on a surface level. Living it is something else entirely. I feel like it’s something every one of us wrestles with, to one degree or another, at some point in our lives.

But for you, Stella, what did it take for you to feel at home in your own body, not as an idea but as a truth? Was it your teacher? Was that the moment, or did it take time to really feel it?

STELLA: No, it’s a long journey. And it’s not a journey that goes straight. It goes up and down depending on what happens to you. And actually, I’m glad you asked me this question because in this movie something happened that people probably don’t know. It’s like a behind the scenes moment where, for me, it’s very important to bring what I fight for, whether it’s the body positive movement or just the acceptance of everybody, into my work.

That’s why sometimes I don’t accept certain jobs, or I ask to change certain things. In this movie, I was so lucky because Kat Coiro, the director, who also worked on the writing and creating the characters, had an idea at the beginning. She wanted to give my character more space, and in the very first draft there was an idea that maybe my husband might be cheating on me.

She asked me what I thought about it, and I said I’m not really happy about that because I don’t want to portray the image of a woman who gets cheated on, especially a woman with my body type, because it’s a stereotype I really don’t want to reinforce. She was so happy I told her that because she agreed. She’s a big advocate for women’s rights and disability rights, and to see it in practice, not just someone talking about it, she actually changed the script.

There’s a funny story about that. I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to watch the movie yet, but there’s a little spoiler. There’s a plumber in the movie. Basically, we switched from the idea of my husband cheating on me to me being the woman with all these opportunities, and maybe, maybe cheating on my husband with a plumber. We don’t know.

I really love that because she listened, and we created a new character who wasn’t even in the original script. He ended up being one of the funniest parts of the movie. A lot of plus-size and body positive influencers who saw previews texted me saying they love the way I show a woman who is confident, sexy, sassy, and embraces her curves, her body, her everything. I dance in the movie, I do so much, and it’s all beautiful and positive.
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​ALLIÉ: I love that. I love that a whole character was created just to support this position. I think that’s really powerful.

You’ve explored expression in ways many people are still afraid of, especially through burlesque, a craft that carries a lot of misconceptions. Did that experience feel more like vulnerability or power?

STELLA: I would say both. I decided to try burlesque while I was living in London. It was a moment in my life and career where I felt like I was getting closer to acceptance but wasn’t fully there yet.

I had this thought: what happens if someone asks me to play a role that requires nudity? How would I react? I wasn’t sure I would be ready.

I went to see a burlesque show. London is probably one of the best places in the world for it. I was in awe, and I decided right away to do the scariest thing and join a class.

It was the best thing for my journey toward acceptance. It was such a vulnerable experience, surrounded by women who were all different, all with their own insecurities and stories. But we shared the same goal, performing at the end of the class.

When that moment came, it was so liberating and fun. It made me understand that femininity and sensuality are not bad. They are part of who we are. It’s fun. I would recommend it to anyone, boys, girls, everyone.

​ALLIÉ: All right, I’ll let Jack, my husband, know what I’m signing up for next.

STELLA: Yes, let me know how it goes.

ALLIÉ: I will. One more question for you today, Stella. If you could sit right across the table from a younger version of yourself, the girl just beginning to question where she belongs in this world, what would you tell her about the life she’s allowed to live?

STELLA: Beautiful question. I would tell her that she can be anything she wants and that she’s perfect as she is. The way she is, she’s perfect. She doesn’t have to change anything about herself. The more she follows her dreams, her instincts, and her pure heart, that’s the right way to go.

ALLIÉ: I love that. And I want every young girl to hear those words, to believe them, to trust them.

Thank you so much, Stella, for joining me here, for sharing your story, and for helping all of us become a bit more aware now.

STELLA: Thank you. You asked me the most beautiful questions, so I’m really happy. It’s very important, and I’m trying to spread the message as much as I can because people sometimes forget that just by loving yourself, you can literally have the world. ∎

Find & follow Stella on Instagram: ​@stella_pecollo